Blogger Charged with Subversion

Authorities in the eastern city of Nanjing have formally arrested a prominent blogger who tried to set up an opposition party on charges of “subversion of state power,” his wife said.

Former university professor Guo Quan was detained Nov. 13 by police near his Nanjing home, and his wife Li Jing said she received formal notification of the charges against him Friday.

“They told me on Friday that he had been formally arrested, but they didn’t give me any details,” Li said. “They gave a bunch of documents to his mother.”

“He is being formally arrested on the same charge they detained him on, that of subverting state power… If they can make it stand up, then it’s pretty serious. It can lead to sentences of at least 10 years in jail.”